Method for disruption of solid materials in a fluid medium

A method of disrupting plant matter to release materials from the plant matter, the method comprising:

• agitating a fluid comprising plant matter in a fluid medium;
• introducing the agitated fluid into a cylindrical fluid duct;
• flowing the fluid through an annular space between an inner wall of the cylindrical fluid duct and an outer surface of an acoustic projector concentric with the cylindrical fluid duct, the acoustic projector comprising a plurality of hammer elements spaced apart from one another by a plurality of slots on a distal side of the acoustic projector and a plurality of mass balance elements on a proximal side of the acoustic projector;
• supplying electrical energy to a transducer coupled to the acoustic projector to cause the acoustic projector to vibrate, thereby causing cavitations to occur in the fluid, the cavitations causing materials to be released from the plant matter;
• and
• flowing the fluid out of the fluid duct after the fluid has been exposed to the cavitations.

A method comprising:

• introducing a fluid comprising solid materials dispersed in a fluid medium into a cylindrical fluid duct;
• flowing the fluid through an annular space between an inner wall of the cylindrical fluid duct and an outer surface of a cylindrical acoustic projector disposed with the cylindrical fluid duct, the acoustic projector comprising a plurality of hammer elements spaced apart from one another by a plurality of slots in the acoustic projector;
• determining an operating frequency of the transducer by:
• initiating a transducer coupled to the acoustic projector at a first power level;
• operating the transducer at a plurality of frequencies;
• measuring acoustic energy present in the fluid at the plurality of frequencies;
• and
• selecting a first frequency at which a highest level of acoustic energy is measured from the plurality of frequencies,
• operating the transducer at the first frequency to cause the acoustic projector to vibrate, thereby causing cavitations to occur in a portion of the fluid in the annular space;
• and
• removing the fluid after the fluid has been exposed to the cavitations.